Image capture and earpiece sizing system and method

ABSTRACT

A method and system for sizing an earpiece include situating a calibration device proximate a user&#39;s ear. The user holds an image capture device so as to aim the image capture device at the user&#39;s ear. The user then touches and holds a random area of the touch screen display and releases the touch screen display to activate the image capture device and capture an image of the user&#39;s ear and the calibration device. The captured image is then analyzed and an earpiece size is determined based on the analysis of the image.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/731,602 filed Jun. 5, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,843,855 issued onDec. 12, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/985,892 filed Jan. 6, 2011, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,050,029 issued onJun. 9, 2015, which, in turn, claims the benefit of U.S. provisionalapplication Ser. No. 61/292,699 filed Jan. 6, 2010, the disclosures ofwhich are hereby incorporated in their entirety by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

Portable music players and portable telephones are becoming increasinglycommon Owners of these and similar devices often prefer to use them inconjunction with personal sound delivery devices. These devices areworn, for example, while driving (e.g. telephone headset), exercising,traveling, or studying or the like.

Nearly all music players and portable phones have one or more earpiecessuch as earbuds as a standard accessory, but typical one-size-fits-allearpieces often do not stay in the user's ears or become uncomfortableover time.

Proper fitting earbuds or in custom ear monitors can provide the benefitof ambient noise isolation or suppression similarly to how earplugsblock sound. However, stock earbuds often do not fit well enough toaccomplish this.

In an attempt to address the above described earbud fit problems somecompanies offer kits of different size earbud adapters. The userselects, through a process of trial and error, the earbud adapter thatfits his ear the best. While the probability of a better fit is thusincreased, it is still inadequate because the variation in human earanatomy is too great to be accommodated with a kit that is necessarilylimited in its range of shapes and sizes. Furthermore, this approachrequires the user to try on each earbud adapter and determine, sometimesover several hours use, if it provides the best fit. Finally, once theoptimal earbud adapter is selected, the remaining ones are useless andthis results in material waste. Some companies provide a single flexibleor compliant earbud adapter where the user is able to adjust its shapeand size and/or the material is able to be compressed and then expand toconform to the inner surfaces of the user's ear anatomy. Thisflexibility or compliance partially addresses the above mentionedproblems with kits, but the extent of the flexibility or compliance isnecessarily limited to provide optimal results for a small range ofanatomy centered on the average ear. When purchasing this product, theuser will typically not know in advance whether his ears will fallwithin the range of the adapter's accommodation which typically createsareas of pressure on known pain points within the ear.

To solve the above mentioned problems other companies supply full customearbuds or earbud adapters. They do this by first injecting a softmaterial into the user's ear to form a physical impression or mold. Themold supplies the ear shape information that is then used to manufacturethe custom fitted earbud or earbud adapter. While this full customapproach solves many of the problems outlined above, it requires asignificant amount of skilled labor which elevates the production cost.Production costs are further increased because the full custom approachnecessarily precludes mass production. Additionally, the user mustundergo the molding process which can be uncomfortable, scary and timeconsuming And finally, the user must wait several business days whilethe custom solution is built and shipped. In this model, a custom fitearbud may require skilled labor to eliminate pressure points in areasknown to be painful within the ear such as the Crus of Helix, theTragus, the Anti-Tragus and the Anti-Helix.

For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.

SUMMARY

In accordance with aspects of the present disclosure, a method andsystem for sizing an earpiece include situating a calibration deviceproximate a user's ear. The user holds an image capture device so as toaim the image capture device at the user's ear. The user then touchesand holds a random area of the touch screen display and releases thetouch screen display to activate the image capture device and capture animage of the user's ear and the calibration device. The captured imageis then analyzed and an earpiece size is determined based on theanalysis of the image.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention are better understood with reference to thefollowing drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily toscale relative to each other. Like reference numerals designatecorresponding similar parts.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate examples of images of an ear and calibrationdevices.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a mobile phone.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an embodiment of a disclosedmethod.

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a series of screen shots associated with anexemplary implementation of a disclosed method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following Detailed Description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown byway of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may bepracticed. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top,”“bottom,” “front,” “back,” “leading,” “trailing,” etc., is used withreference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. Becausecomponents of embodiments of the present invention can be positioned ina number of different orientations, the directional terminology is usedfor purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to beunderstood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural orlogical changes may be made without departing from the scope of thepresent invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is notto be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present inventionis defined by the appended claims.

An earbud herein means a personal sound delivery device that fitssubstantially within the outer ear and which comprises an acousticemitter.

An earbud adapter herein means a physical adapter that first, physicallyand acoustically connects to an earbud and second; physically andacoustically connects to the user's ear. An earbud adapter does notinclude an acoustic emitter.

An in ear monitor herein means a physical ear adapter that first,physically and acoustically contains an acoustic emitter and second;physically and acoustically connects to the user's ear through acontoured form to fit a single individual's ear. An in ear monitorcontains an acoustic emitter that permanently or semi-permanentlyattaches an acoustic emitter and ear adapter.

An earpiece generically refers to devices such as earbuds, earbudadapters, in ear monitors, etc.

This disclosure concerns a system and method that enables self-portraitimage capture, which can be included as part of a method of sizing forpersonalized earpieces. In some implementations, the system and methodare embodied as operating on an Apple iPhone with Apple iPhone-specificsoftware and protocols. For the sake of simplicity, the presentdisclosure is presented in terms of an Apple iPhone and associatedapplications (“Apps”). However, it is understood that other embodimentsare envisioned where the system and method are implemented using otherplatforms and devices.

Advantages of embodiments of the system and methods disclosed hereininclude

-   -   Integration: The iPhone is equipped with a camera, web-browsing        and third-party applications to combine all components of the        Custom-Fit Earbud Enhancer system into one: digital image        capture, size determination and online ordering. The software        application enables self-photography.    -   Lower cost: The built-in camera on the iPhone makes taking        digital images free and instant. The standard fees for        web-browsing and email service may apply. Consumers have the        convenience and power of taking their own ear image, thereby        eliminating the costs of sizing service and fitting centers.    -   Convenience: The user may easily take an image of his own ear        without the help of others. Once a user has taken the image, the        application coordinates email of the photo attachment to the        sizing server. The user promptly receives a response message        consisting of the personal earbud enhancer size on his iPhone        and order options.    -   High prevalence: The popularity of the Apple iPhone enables many        users to take advantage of the camera feature for earbud        enhancer sizing. Downloading specialized applications is fast        and easy. The portability of the mobile phone camera allows for        application download and image capture at any time or location.    -   Improved usability: The existing procedure for iPhone        photography requires a user to stand physically behind the phone        while pointing the camera at the desired object. Pressing a        shutter icon on the touch screen will capture the photo.        Self-photography is challenging because of the indistinct        shutter button.    -   Security and privacy: The security encryption of the iPhone and        sizing server allows maximal protection of the users sizing and        personal information. Self-photography also protects the user's        privacy and personal space.

It has been shown that a 2D digital image of the ear enables measurementof a dimension or multiple dimensions of the ear such that an earprosthetic device such as an earpiece could be sized and fitted for thesample ear. During the image acquisition process, the size of the ear iscalibrated to a calibration device—a known object such as a ruler, coin,or an earbud device situated proximate the ear to calibrate the image.FIG. 1A includes an image of an ear 10 with an earbud 12 situated in theear 10 to function as a calibration device. The earbud 12 itself couldfunction as the calibration device, or various parts of the earbud couldperform this function, such as holes 14 in the earbud or the wire orwire connection 16. FIG. 1B shows the ear 10 with a coin 18 held nearthe ear 10 to function as a calibration device.

The development of a software application for iPhone providesuser-controlled image acquisition and self-capture of an acceptableimage of the ear.

An example of an iPhone 20 and its display screen 22 are illustrated inFIG. 2. The iPhone features a built-in camera system for digitalphotography. Accessing the “camera” icon 24 from the main menuautomatically starts the camera to digitally display the streamingacquisition on the screen. The iPhone has limited self-focusingcapabilities and readjusts the image when one taps on an area of thescreen. To take the photo, one must tap the “capture” (gray camera) onthe horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen touch screen associatedwith the camera function. Doing so activates the camera to shoot theimage, accompanied by a shutter animation. This design imposeschallenges to self-photography because the icon is only an image on thetouch screen and not a physical button. Due to the size and position ofthis icon, one must look at the screen to locate and touch it. Theconfiguration of the system makes the camera snap the photo at the firstinitial touch on the “capture” icon. Given these limitations, allexisting procedures for image acquisition of an ear photo using theiPhone have relied on another individual present to hold and point theiPhone camera and tap the “capture” button. It may be inconvenient toinvolve another person. Furthermore, the lack of a zoom function on theiPhone causes possible proximity-related discomfort when another istaking close-up images of the ear.

The disclosed system and method interfaces with the phone's camerasystem hardware. The new configuration settings can generate a differentmechanism of image capture. The entire touch screen becomes sensitiveand acts as the shutter control. The initial touch no longer activatesthe camera. Instead, image capture occurs when the touch is released.The application walks the user through the procedure of take aself-image of the ear. For proper sizing, the digital photo of the earmust be in-focus and well-lit. Only one ear is needed for sizing andeither ear is acceptable. In certain embodiments, a reference objectmust be included in the photo to determine the scale of the image.Suitable solutions include a standard apple earbud inserted in the ear,or a ruler or coin held up for reference.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram generally illustrating an example of adisclosed method for sizing an earpiece. In block 100, a calibrationdevice is situated proximate a user's ear. As noted above, an earbudpositioned in the ear or a coin situated next to the user's ear areexamples of suitable calibration devices. In block 102, the user holdsan image capture device, such as an iPhone with the camera functionactivate, so as to aim the device at the user's ear. In block 104, theuser touches and holds a random area of the touch screen display, and inblock 106 the user releases the touch screen display to activate theimage capture device and capture an image of the user's ear and thecalibration device. In block 108 the captured image is analyzed and inblock 110 an earpiece size is determined based on the analysis of theimage.

The following are sample instructions for a self-photographing procedurein accordance with an example iPhone-based implementation.

1. Place a white Apple earbud in your left ear as normal.

2. Keeping the iPhone vertical, use your left index finger to touch andhold any part of the iPhone screen. The photo will be captured when yourelease.

3. Extend your arm so that the iPhone is 1-2 ft. away from your leftear.

4. Adjust the angle as necessary so that the camera lens points towardthe ear.

5. Release your finger from the screen and remain still for 2 seconds asthe camera captures the photo. You may hear the shutter animation sound.

In some implementations, the image capture device has images stored in amemory thereof. After the image is acquired, the user can review thecaptured image and compare it with the stored examples of “acceptable”vs. “incomplete” ear photos. The consumer confirms the satisfactoryimage to let the application electronically send it to an earpiecesizing server.

Unique to this application is the iPhone camera hardware interface thatactivates the full screen for image capture. Previously,self-photography was difficult because the user had to hold the iPhonewith the screen facing away and randomly tap for the “capture” button.Transforming the entire screen into a shutter control significantlyincreases the ease of this process, since any random are of the screencan be used to activate the image capture function. In addition, themechanism for “release capture” is advantageous over tapping the screen.It enables the user to maintain a good grasp of the iPhone andmanipulate camera distance and angle. The user does not have to avoidtouching the screen when positioning the camera; rather a quick fingerrelease, when the camera is ready, captures the desired image. Thedesign and configuration of this system provides the optimum ease andefficiency for self-photography. The risk of dropping and damaging theiPhone device while performing the procedure is minimized.

In addition to the iPhone camera limitations, the ear is anatomicallybeyond the range of vision and especially difficult to self-photograph.The functionalities of “full screen activation” and “release capture” ofthe iPhone image capture application fully support the earbud enhancersizing protocol to acquire ear images.

The development of this new image capture mechanism is in conjunctionwith a digital earbud enhancer sizing application. However, thecapability of self-photography using the iPhone can apply to a varietyof purposes/situations. The functionality can be an application byitself to allow users to easily take images of themselves forself-portraits. The possibility of making this functionality part of thestandard Apple iPhone update would make it ubiquitous and accessible toall users.

The following sources (incorporated by reference) provide furtherinformation regarding taking photos with an iPhone:

http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/how to take better photos withyour ip

hone/http://www.apple.com/iphone/iphone-3gs/photos.html

http://www.iphoneography.com/journal/2009/9/25/new-iphone-photo-app-self-portrait-made-easy.

In some implementations, the mobile phone communication capabilities areused to transmit the captured image to a remote location for theanalysis and earpiece sizing determinations. For instance, the imagecould be sent to an earpiece sizing server via the internet. This alsoallows for immediate purchase and shipping of the properly sizedearpiece to the user.

FIGS. 4A and 4B provide corresponding application screen shots S1-S16for the following description of an example workflow for mobile a devicewith camera and internet capability, such as an Apple iPhone andassociated Application.

Screen 1 (S 1): Application icon to start

S 2: Take a picture as a picture taking tool or Get Sized for earbudadapter.

S 3: Instructions screen with option to view a How To Video or pictorialdescription.

S 4: Video description of How To.

S 5: Static picture description of How To.

S 6: Splash screen showing that user can touch anywhere on screen—fadingaway.

S 7: View prior to taking picture.

S 8: Capturing image.

S 9: Preview and retake or Use image.

S 10: Saving a Get Sized photo or standard photo.

S 11: Comparison photo using a Quarter as a reference object.

S 12: Comparison photo using a standard Apple earbud as a referenceobject.

S 13: Processing a submission with the option to input an Affiliate codeor Gift code.

S 14: Error message.

S 15: Notification of transition away from Application and to ane-commerce website to purchase.

S 16: Mobile device web site for purchase.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the artthat a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may besubstituted for the specific embodiments shown and described withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. This application isintended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specificembodiments discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that thisinvention be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for a user to self-size an earpiece forthe user's ear using software comprising: releasing a touch screen of amobile phone to activate an image capture feature and to capture atwo-dimensional image of the user's ear together with a calibrationdevice positioned proximate to a user's ear, wherein the calibrationdevice is a reference object having one or more known dimensions;submitting a single captured two-dimensional image having both theuser's ear and the calibration device; and processing the singlecaptured two-dimensional image to determine an appropriate earpiecesize.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing thetwo-dimensional image to at least one predetermined acceptable image. 3.The method of claim 1, wherein the calibration device is one of anearbud and coin.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising situatingthe calibration device proximate to the user's ear.
 5. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the touch screen operates the image capture feature bytouching and holding an area of the touch screen and releasing the touchscreen.
 6. A method, comprising: activating an image capture device of amobile device; capturing an image of a user's ear together with acalibration device that is positioned proximate to the user's ear,wherein the calibration device is a reference object; and transmittingthe image, from the image capture device to determine an appropriateearpiece size, the image including both the user's ear and thecalibration device.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprisinganalyzing the image by comparing the image to at least one predeterminedacceptable image.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein the capturing of theimage includes releasing user contact at the mobile device.
 9. A systemfor sizing an earpiece, comprising: an image capture device including atouch screen display configured to: receive a user input to activate theimage capture device; capture an image of a user's ear together with acalibration device that is positioned proximate to a user's ear, whereinthe calibration device is a reference object; and transmit the image todetermine an appropriate earpiece size based on the calibration deviceand the user's ear of the image.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein theimage capture device is activated by releasing a touch screen.
 11. Thesystem of claim 9, wherein the image is a single capturestwo-dimensional imaging having both the user's ear and the calibrationdevice.
 12. The system of claim 9, wherein the image is transmitted tobe processed to determine the earpiece size, the processing includingcomparing the image to at least one predetermined acceptable image. 13.The system of claim 9, wherein the calibration device is an earbud orcoin.
 14. The system of claim 9, wherein the touch screen operates theimage capture device by touching and holding an area of the touch screenand releasing the touch screen.